Release Detail

August 3, 2000 - Little Support For Giving Kids More Time In Bad Schools,
New Yorkers Tell Quinnipiac University Poll;
Increase In Immigration Is Good For The City

New York City voters give the public schools very low grades, and there is little
support for increasing the amount of time children spend in these schools, according to a
Quinnipiac University poll released today.

Only 14 percent of voters give the schools an A or a B, while 19 percent give schools a
failing grade; 35 percent give a C grade and 24 percent give schools a D.

Only 16 percent are satisfied with schools, while 71 percent are not satisfied; 19
percent of voters say schools are getting better, while 31 percent say they are getting worse
and 42 percent say they are staying the same.

Looking at schools in their own neighborhood, 38 percent of voters are satisfied, with
45 percent not satisfied.

Voters also give local schools better grades, with 33 percent giving an A or B, 25
percent giving a C , 15 percent giving a D and 12 percent giving a failing grade.

"Are New Yorkers saying they don't want more of a bad thing? They give schools
very poor grades and, when offered a list of potential improvements, the lowest numbers by
far favor keeping kids in school longer, by increasing the length of the school day or the
school year," said Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.

"As always, New Yorkers give better grades to their local schools than to the school
system in general, but we're still very short on A's and B's," Carroll added.

Rating the effectiveness of possible steps to improve the schools:

82 percent say it would be "very effective" to get parents more involved;

26 percent say it would be "very effective" to increase the length of the school day or
school year;

61 percent say it would be "very effective" to spend more money on schools;

73 percent say it would be "very effective" to reduce class size;

63 percent say it would be "very effective" to increase pay for successful teachers;

43 percent say it would be "very effective" to increase pay for all teachers;

58 percent say it would be "very effective" to require students to pass standardized tests;

73 percent say it would be "very effective" to require teachers to pass competency tests.

By a 54 - 36 percent margin, New York City voters say it's a "good idea" to allow for-
profit corporations to operate some of the city's worst schools.
Immigration

The increase in the number of foreign-born immigrants in New York City is a "good
thing," 53 percent of New York City voters say, while 28 percent say it is a "bad thing."

But only 44 percent of voters favor conducting public school classes in a second
language for students who don't speak English, while 53 percent oppose the idea.

By a 66 - 31 percent margin, New York City voters say all high school students should
learn a foreign language in order to graduate.

"We're happy to welcome our new neighbors from around the world. But we're not
anxious to teach foreign-born children in their native language. Even 30 percent of Hispanic
voters say, `Learn English,'" Carroll said.

"We are a cosmopolitan city and two-thirds of our voters say our children all should
know two languages."

From July 25 - 31, Quinnipiac University surveyed 753 New York City registered
voters, with a margin of error of +/- 3.6 percent. The Quinnipiac University Poll, directed
by Douglas Schwartz, conducts public opinion surveys in New York, New Jersey and
Connecticut as a public service and for research.

For additional data -- www.quinnipiac.edu or call (203) 582-5201

4.What do you think is the most important problem facing New York City
today?

Have kids
in Public
Tot Wht Blk Hisp Men Wom School

Crime/Violence 16% 15% 16% 28% 12% 20% 20%

Drugs 3 1 4 6 3 2 4

Police (general) 5 5 5 7 7 4 6

Racial profiling 1 - 2 - 1 - 1

Police brutality/
Racism 6 2 12 1 4 7 9

Economy 1 1 - 1 1 - 1

Unemployment/Jobs 5 3 7 6 5 4 9

Taxes 1 2 - 1 2 - -

Racism/Race Relations 9 8 13 5 8 9 7

Poverty/Homelessness 4 4 4 4 4 4 5

Housing costs/
Availability 6 6 5 3 5 6 6

Overcrowding 1 1 1 - 1 1 1

Welfare 1 1 - 2 1 1 1

Class inequality 1 1 1 1 2 1 1

Immigration 1 1 - - 1 1 1

Children's issues 1 1 2 2 1 1 1

Healthcare/Costs/
Insurance/HMO's 1 1 2 1 1 2 -

Medicare 1 1 1 - 1 1 -

West Nile Virus 1 1 - 1 1 1 1

Education 15 19 12 12 16 14 12

Lack of quality mass
transit/Public
transportation 1 1 - 3 2 - 1

Traffic 1 2 - 1 2 - 1

Politicians/Government 1 1 1 - 1 1 1

Mayor 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

Other 7 8 5 4 6 7 4

DK/NA 6 8 2 6 5 6 4

16. Are you generally satisfied with the quality of the public schools in New
York City, or are you not satisfied?

Have kids
in Public
Tot Wht Blk Hisp Men Wom School

Yes/Satisfied 16% 15% 14% 25% 14% 17% 23%

No/Not satisfied 71 66 80 66 72 70 71

DK/NA 13 19 5 9 14 13 5

17. Students are often given the grades A,B,C,D, and Fail to denote the quality
of their work. Suppose the public schools themselves, in New York City, were
graded in the same way. What grade would you give the public schools in New
York City - A,B,C,D, or fail?

Have kids
in Public
Tot Wht Blk Hisp Men Wom School

A 2% 2% 3% 3% 3% 2% 5%

B 12 10 14 18 11 12 17

C 35 36 33 35 37 34 33

D 24 25 24 16 25 24 22

Fail 19 16 22 22 17 20 20

DK/NA 8 11 4 6 8 8 4

18. Do you think the New York City public schools are getting better, getting
worse, or staying about the same?

Have kids
in Public
Tot Wht Blk Hisp Men Wom School

Better 19% 21% 15% 20% 20% 17% 29%

Worse 31 26 42 27 27 34 32

Staying the same 42 41 40 50 44 40 38

DK/NA 8 12 4 3 9 8 1

19. How much do you think Rudolph Giuliani has done to improve the public schools
in New York City - has he done a lot, some, little, or nothing at all?

Have kids
in Public
Tot Wht Blk Hisp Men Wom School

A lot 8% 10% 2% 18% 10% 7% 12%

Some 36 39 27 36 39 33 29

A little 31 27 39 27 29 32 29

Nothing at all 20 16 28 13 16 22 27

DK/NA 6 7 4 5 6 6 3

20. Are you generally satisfied with the quality of the public schools in
your neighborhood, or are you not satisfied?

Have kids
in Public
Tot Wht Blk Hisp Men Wom School

Yes/Satisfied 38% 41% 32% 40% 36% 40% 36%

No/Not satisfied 45 35 60 52 46 45 60

DK/NA 17 24 8 8 18 16 4

21. What grade would you give the public schools in your neighborhood -
A,B,C,D, or fail?

Have kids
in Public
Tot Wht Blk Hisp Men Wom School

A 7% 9% 5% 9% 5% 9% 10%

B 26 27 21 25 25 26 27

C 25 23 28 26 28 23 23

D 15 10 20 19 15 15 16

Fail 12 8 19 14 11 13 20

DK/NA 15 22 7 7 16 14 3

22. Do you think the public schools in your neighborhood are getting better,
getting worse, or staying about the same?

Have kids
in Public
Tot Wht Blk Hisp Men Wom School

Better 17% 16% 17% 24% 19% 16% 24%

Worse 16 11 24 14 14 18 21

Staying the same 52 51 53 53 53 51 51

DK/NA 15 22 7 9 14 16 5

23. Would you say that students who are undisciplined and disruptive are a
very serious problem, a somewhat serious problem, not too serious a problem,
or not a problem at all?

Have kids
in Public
Tot Wht Blk Hisp Men Wom School

Very serious problem 70% 65% 74% 77% 67% 72% 72%

Smwht serious problem 22 24 20 14 23 20 22

Not too serious a
problem 4 5 4 5 5 4 4

Not a problem at all 1 1 - 2 1 1 1

DK/NA 4 5 2 2 5 3 1

24. Would you say that low academic standards are a very serious problem, a
somewhat serious problem, not too serious a problem, or not a problem at all?

34. Would increasing the length of the school day or the length of the school
term be very effective, somewhat effective, not too effective, or not effective
at all in improving the public schools in New York City?

36. Would increasing pay for teachers who demonstrate high performance be very
effective, somewhat effective, not too effective, or not effective at all in
improving the public schools in New York City?

38. Would requiring students to pass standardized tests in order to move on to
the next grade be very effective, somewhat effective, not too effective, or not
effective at all in improving the public schools in New York City?

40. Would creating alternative schools for students who have discipline problems
be very effective, somewhat effective, not too effective, or not effective at
all in improving the public schools in New York City?

41. Would making students take more academically challenging required courses
and fewer electives be very effective, somewhat effective, not too effective,
or not effective at all in improving the public schools in New York City?

44. What grade would you give New York City's summer school program?
A,B,C,D, or Fail?

Have kids
in Public
Tot Wht Blk Hisp Men Wom School

A 6% 2% 8% 14% 4% 7% 12%

B 15 11 17 23 14 15 25

C 27 26 29 33 28 26 26

D 14 14 16 12 15 14 5

Fail 11 11 14 9 12 11 13

DK/NA 26 35 17 9 28 25 20

45. Do you think it should be legal or illegal for parents to let their
children skip summer school?

Have kids
in Public
Tot Wht Blk Hisp Men Wom School

Legal 30% 30% 31% 28% 33% 29% 33%

Illegal 56 55 56 62 53 58 54

DK/NA 14 15 12 10 14 14 14

46. Do you think the Board of Education should or should not be allowed to
use truancy officers to look for students who skip summer school?

Have kids
in Public
Tot Wht Blk Hisp Men Wom School

Should be allowed 69% 71% 68% 77% 69% 70% 75%

Should not be
allowed 23 21 25 21 25 22 20

DK/NA 7 8 7 2 6 8 5

47. Some people have suggested that New York City should contract with a
private, profit-making corporation to operate some of the city's worst
performing schools. Do you think this is a good idea or a bad idea?

Have kids
in Public
Tot Wht Blk Hisp Men Wom School

Good idea 54% 51% 57% 57% 48% 59% 60%

Bad idea 36 38 35 34 42 31 35

DK/NA 10 11 8 9 10 10 5

48. Recent Census figures indicate that the percentage of foreign born residents
in New York City increased from 28 percent in 1990 to 40 percent today.

Do you think that the increase in the percentage of foreign born residents
has been a good thing or a bad thing for New York City?

Have kids
in Public
Tot Wht Blk Hisp Men Wom School

Good thing 53% 50% 57% 55% 59% 49% 52%

Bad thing 28 30 27 29 26 30 36

DK/NA 19 19 16 17 15 21 12

49. Do you favor or oppose having classes conducted in a foreign language
as well as English for children who don't speak English?

Have kids
in Public
Tot Wht Blk Hisp Men Wom School

Favor 44% 31% 55% 68% 40% 47% 56%

Oppose 53 67 40 30 56 50 42

DK/NA 3 3 5 2 4 3 3

50. Do you think that all high school students should or should not be
required to learn a foreign language in order to graduate?